Don't Judge Me
by battyderp
Summary: "Don't judge me - you have no idea what I've been through." Taka wasn't the son his father wanted; he had always known that. Mufasa was everything he wasn't. This is the tale of how a cub born with a gentle heart can be turned into a ruthless killer.
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

The sky overhead was dark and clouded, rain pouring down outside the den. Yet it was not cold. The humidity was almost sickening, both the rain and the hot, still air sticking to his fur and whiskers. He shook it off irritably, raising a paw and swiping at a droplet of water that dangled on the tip of his ear.

He let out a small sigh, looking over his shoulder at his sleeping family. He was the only one awake. His brother was tucked in between their parents, one of his mother's large paws wrapped protectively around him. Blinking, Taka turned back to the entrance to the den, padding forward a few paces to stick his head out curiously.

Thunder rumbled, shaking the ground and making the stiff, spiky leaves on the Acacia trees outside shake. He shuddered, ducking back inside the warmth of his home.

Just then, he heard someone stir behind him. "What are you doing up?" He recognised his brother's voice, not having to turn around. He pricked his dark ears as light, drowsy paw steps came towards him, and felt a wet nose nuzzle at his neck.

Taka watched him from the corner of his yellow-green eyes, unable to resist a small smile. "Couldn't sleep," he replied with a shrug. "What's your excuse, Mufasa?"

Mufasa chuckled softly and leapt onto the smaller cub, bawling him over easily. They tussled for a few moments before the eldest brother eventually pinned Taka to the ground, resting his paws on the darker, scrawnier lion's side triumphantly. "A good brother always knows when his little bro is separated from him," He lowered his head and licked Taka's tiny, scruffy beginning of a mane. "Or that's what dad says, at least,"

Taka sighed again, eyes glistening in the dim light of the moon, wiggling out from under his brother. "Right, yeah. I forgot," He rolled his eyes, one sharp, pearly white tooth visible from behind his thin smile.

"Sure, sure," Mufasa nudged him before trotting over to the main entrance of Pride Rock. With a glance at his sleeping father, he slowly lifted a paw and slunk out to the tip of the rock, peering over the edge. "Being king is going to be amazing," He whispered, tail-tip flicking back and forth in anticipation.

"Long time to go yet," Taka followed him wearily, standing a little away from the edge. "Especially if I become king before you," He straightened a little at the thought.

Mufasa smirked. "Yeah. Sure. Like that'll happen. Taka, I'm bigger, stronger and older. Basically everything better," He grinned. "No offence,"

Taka shrank back into himself, his smile fading. "You're probably right," Then he forced a more cheerful demeanour to hide his stinging pain inside. "Hey, but at least I've got the brains out of the two of us, huh?"

His brother swiped at his muzzle playfully, shaking his head. "Whatever you want to tell yourself," He pawed at the smooth, dusty rock under paw, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Already starting down the path that lead to the savannah below, he paused briefly to glance back at his brother. He called quietly, "C'mon. Let's go explore,"

Taka stared back at him in disbelief. "We can't! Papa says it's too dangerous. They'll kill us for sure if they find out,"

Mufasa swiped his tongue around his lips as though tasting an extra succulent morsel of prey. "Lions aren't afraid of anything. _Especially_ not the future kings of the Pridelands," he announced proudly, brushing off Taka's warning. Seeing he still wasn't convinced, he continued more seriously. "Listen, okay? If our parents do find out – which they won't – I'll take the blame and tell them it was my idea, which it was. So we won't be lying. Geez, Taka. Learn to have some fun," His whiskers twitched in amusement.

He narrowed his eyes at his brother's accusation. He would go with him, he decided eventually, just to prove him wrong. With a last look over his shoulder at his sleeping parents, he stumbled down to join Mufasa, and together, side by side, they padded into the tall, yellow grass.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER ONE

The wind whistled eerily through the grass, buffeting their fur and throwing dust in their faces. The rain had eased, but it was still strong enough to have their pelts drenched within seconds.

At first, Mufasa seemed to enjoy himself. He stuck out his tongue to collect the rain drops, shaking out his coat so it splattered all over his little brother, making him sneeze.

Taka, however, wasn't having such a great time. Every time any animal made a call or rustled through the grass, he would stop dead and have to have Mufasa comfort him until his legs stopped shaking. He was freezing and scared and wanted to go home. He didn't want to die out here.

He could see almost perfectly in the pitch black darkness, but that gave him little reassurance. The rain stirred up all the smells that had clung to the ground, confusing Taka's nose and sense of direction.

Eventually, Mufasa too began to grow cold, though he tried to hide it. "Maybe we should start heading home," he suggested finally.

"You think?" Taka muttered sarcastically, eyes flicking from side to side nervously.

Just then, lighting flashed, lighting up the sky with a deafening crack. Both cubs jumped, pressing against each other for safety. Then Mufasa urged his brother forward, making him stumble and fall over when the larger lion's head crashed into his flank. He pulled Taka to his paws, teeth imbedded in his scruff. "Head for that Acacia tree," he mumbled urgently around a mouthful of hair, "We'll be safe there,"

Pulling free of Mufasa's grip, Taka bolted clumsily towards the tree, almost crashing into the thin trunk as he slid on some mud. His brother followed closely behind him, backing Taka up against the tree. Taka crouched low to the ground, Mufasa huddled next to him protectively, tail draped over his bony shoulders. "Don't worry," he assured in a low voice, mustering up all the courage he had to make it seem like he wasn't terrified. He risked a look back at his brother, whose eyes were squeezed shut as though he could block out everything around him. His small body was rigid and shaking, cold to the touch. "I'll to anything to protect you,"

They stayed there for what seemed like hours, when, in reality, it was only a few minutes.

Just when they were ready to give up, two glowing white orbs appeared, slicing through the darkness like daggers. Taka, who had half-opened one eye to peek out, held back a scream. Mufasa too drew in a sharp breath, then grew more relaxed as he sniffed the breeze that was being carried towards them.

"It's dad!" he announced, relieved.

Taka blinked a few times, looking up at him uncertainly. "Dad?"

"Yes." Mufasa got to his paws, gripping Taka's tail between his teeth and dragging him up.

Taka snapped his tail away from him, letting it sink to the ground. He followed his brother as he walked slowly towards the huge silhouette. Mufasa looked half what confident, while Taka was the exact opposite.

Their father said nothing as they headed towards him, just turned and stalked away, expecting his sons to follow obediently.

Taka swallowed uneasily, his voice catching in his throat. "D'you think he's mad?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Mufasa didn't say anything for a handful of heartbeats. "Just remember what I told you: I'll take the blame. Just let me do the talking," He didn't look up, just continued to stare at the ground.

Exhaling a deep, silent breath he didn't even know he had been holding, Taka nodded once then fell silent. Who was he kidding? He would never be king. He didn't have what it took, unlike his brother. Mufasa was perfect: brave, strong, always knew what to say in any situation. Taka would just turn tail and flee at the first sign of danger. He was just a scared, little cub in comparison.

The three walked in complete silence for a while, only the sound of rain breaking through the awkwardness. It was as though the rest of Africa had stood still and was waiting to see what would happen next.

Then their father stopped below Pride Rock, the huge rock formation blocking the rain and the brute force of the unforgiving wind that continued to ravage the Sarangheti. It probably wasn't a good idea to go out trekking at night during the Rainy Season.

The brothers both shook our their fur in unison, spraying the water everywhere. But their father remained still, glaring down at his sons, rain dripping from his chin. Yet he didn't seem to notice it.

"What were you two thinking?" His deep voice boomed, echoing in the confined space. His eyes were ablaze with fury.

Taka heard his brother's heart begin to race. "Dad—" Mufasa began, but was cut off by his father.

"You could have been killed – don't you understand that? Not only if a predator picked you two off, but if you caught your death in this weather. You two aren't indestructible, you know. Any animal can kill a little cub like this," He slammed one of his huge paws on the ground, making the cubs take a small step back. "I could have lost you. And another thing that I thought you would have known by now: never stand under a tree during a lighting storm. It attracts it," He shook his head, closing his eyes.

"I'm not little," Mufasa muttered under his breath.

His father's eyes snapped open, focusing now on his eldest son. His chipped ears flattened against his slicked back, soaking wet black main. "What was that?"

Before any of them could continue, a sweet smell wafted towards them. Taka turned his head to see his mother padding gracefully down the path that lead from the top of Pride Rock, her haunches bouncing with every step. She walked towards them, stopping beside her mate. "That's enough, dear," she rumbled soothingly. "You can see just how scared the poor things are," She held her gaze level with his, unwavering.

Their father's glare remained plastered on his narrow face for a few more seconds, before he slowly let it disappear. "They need to know this is unacceptable. It's embarrassing for the children of the rulers of the Pride Lands to have to be saved," His voice was still gruff.

Their mother shook her beautiful head. "Children make mistakes. You can't expect them to be perfect when they're so young. You've placed the whole world on their shoulders,"

Taka looked over at Mufasa, but his brother didn't look ready to protest again. He was just gazing up at his parents. Then, feeling Taka's eyes on him, he turned his head slightly, locking eyes with him. He shrugged, and then looked at the floor.

The other lionesses of the pride had been awoken by the raised voice of their king, and some were poking their heads around the rocks to get a better look. But with a glance from the queen, they quickly retreated, leaving them alone once more.

She twitched an ear, the only sign that she was a little upset. She padded towards her sons, standing over them as though daring her husband to try anything. Then, seeing he wasn't going to say anything more, she gently picked Taka up in her strong jaws and walked back up the path, Mufasa trailing behind her.

Back in the sleeping den, where the rest of their pride was pretending to be asleep, she set her child down on the slightly raised slab of rock where the royals slept. Mufasa clambered up to join him.

Their mother let out a shallow breath. "Oh, my sweet babies," She settled down on the rock, gazing down at them lovingly. It was obvious to anyone that knew her well and was able to see past her dignified mask, that she had been just as terrified for their safety as the next lion, possibly more. "What would I do without you?"

Her warm breath enveloped them. Their pudgy stomachs nearly touched the stone below as they slunk over to her, curling up next to her shoulder.

One of the other tiny, female cubs dragged a chunk of meat almost twice her size towards them. "Thank you, Sarabi," The queen smiled.

The cub grinned goofily before walking back towards her friends and flopping onto her side exhaustedly. Then, prompted by her mother, Akirfa, she got back to her feet and dipped her head respectfully. The queen nodded back, and, with a relieved sigh, the cub once again lay down to sleep. She was far younger than the future kings.

The two sons had only just begun eating meat, but had already developed a taste for it, and the rare, delicious piece of water buffalo made their mouths water hungrily. Taka hadn't even realised he was hungry until his stomach growled, and he quickly lowered his head to eat. But his brother growled deep in his throat and snatched the food away for himself.

Their mother scowled at him and broke off a chunk of the meat with her jaws, dropping it in front of her younger son. He smiled shyly in thanks and tentatively began eating, turning his back on Mufasa.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER TWO

"Dad's gonna show me the whole Pridelands," Mufasa announced proudly, standing tall with his head raised and eyes half-closed. His tufted tail was curled over his back.

Taka narrowed his yellow-green eyes, padding over to his older brother. "That's great," he replied with an uneasy smile, pressing his forehead briefly to Mufasa's before drawing back to look up at him once more. Then he added slowly, "But what about me?"

"He didn't mention you. Bet you're coming too, though," He walked past him with an extra spring in his step, and Taka scurried after him like an obedient puppy. "Don't get your whiskers in a twist,"

Though he didn't like to accept it, Taka knew that their father preferred Mufasa. He was everything a king wanted in his future successor – strong, big, brave, smart, loyal, and, most importantly, a natural-born leader with confidence and self-assurance to back him up. He knew that everyone liked his brother better - why wouldn't they? He was perfect, and Taka was just the nervous runt who hadn't even begun to grow his mane yet.

Taka shrugged his bony shoulders, watching the ground as he trailed after the golden lion cub. "Yeah," he muttered, not fully convinced, "I guess," His paws scuffed over the uneven earth, kicking up dust and small rocks. Then he looked up, wanting to change the awkward subject, not that Mufasa really knew how to feel awkward. "When is he taking us?"

"Tomorrow morning at dawn. Man, it's gonna be so cool!" He sprang in the air like a happy gazelle, making Taka chuckle softly.

"You bet,"

"I'm gonna be the best king ever!" Mufasa boasted, loud enough for the whole pride to hear. They all turned to him and cheered their support, light-hearted laughter filling the cave. "Those evil hyenas won't know what to do with themselves, they'll be so scared. And if I have a kid, I'll let them do whatever they want – no rules for anyone!"

While the rest of the pride gathered around Mufasa to offer their congratulations, Taka escaped from the throng of lionesses and stood back to watch, sitting down heavily. Even Sarabi stumbled over to chew on the eldest son's ear, making Mufasa chuckle. He bawled her over gently and they play-fought for a few minutes, the grownups watching the sight proudly.

Taka chewed on his bottom lip. He was happy for his brother, he really was. He loved him more than anything, and basically fed off his emotions. But that didn't stop that faint nibbling of jealousy from creeping into his gut against his will.

That night went too quickly. Taka was still exhausted from their adventure a few nights earlier, though Mufasa didn't even seem to remember it; he had bounced back into his old self, while the dark brown cub was still trying to force his eyes to stay open.

It was as though just as he finally managed to fall asleep, light was streaming through the cave entrance and it was time to wake up.

He sighed and lifted his head drowsily to let out a wide yawn, his small, pearly-white fangs glistening in the morning light. When he looked over, Mufasa was already gone and his mother was grooming her shoulder, head turned away from him.

Then realisation hit him. He was supposed to meet his father at dawn! Judging by the harshness of the light, it was well past sun-up. He scrambled to his paws and raced out of the den, careful not to trip and fall over the edge as he bolted up the winding path that led to the very top of Pride Rock. As he peaked over the top, ears flattened against his head, he saw Mufasa and their dad. Mufasa was listening intently to his father, but also staring out into the savannah as he was explained everything that would eventually be his and the way of the world. The sunlight made his pelt gleam, and there was a faint glimmer of pride in their father's eyes.

Swallowing, Taka worked up the courage to make himself seen and padded lightly over to them. "Hi," he greeted softly, standing next to his brother and looking expectantly up at his dad. "Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?"

Their father looked down at him, expression stony all for the faint sneer that was just evident on his face. "Kings are not late for things," He replied icily, eyes gluing him to the spot. Taka resisted the urge to flatten himself to the ground and turn tail and flee, "Your brother knows that. You should too," He finally turned his head away from the cubs to stare into the yellow sarangheti. "The word 'Taka' means dirt in Swahili. Don't sink as low as to actually become one with the meaning of your name,"

Taka flinched but said nothing.

Mufasa went from looking unimpressed with his brother to seeming enraged with his father. "Don't talk to him like that, dad," He defended, taking a bold step forward, "It's not his fault. I forgot to wake him up. I took him out that night so he was tired. Blame me, not him. He was just following me. He doesn't know any better,"

That last sentence stung Taka. Was he just a follower with no mind of his own?

"A true king fights his own battles, Mufasa. He doesn't need his big brother to defend him," He looked straight past Mufasa to glance at Taka pointedly, eyes narrowed.

Mufasa looked ready to protest, but was silenced with a look. "Yes, father," He turned to look at Taka, who echoed him.

"Good. Now, Taka, make yourself useful and go with your mother and the lionesses on their hunting expedition. You might actually learn something." With a sigh, Taka dipped his head and padded away obediently. Just as he was about to disappear behind the rocks, he heard his father call, "And try not to get trampled!"

"Why does he hate me so much?" Taka slunk quickly after his mother as she strode through the long grass, at the head of a hunting party consisting of five cats. Her eyes were slits against the blinding sun, and she used her sense of smell and hearing to find the herds. He raised his head every so often to watch her, and tried to copy her.

She shook her head. "He doesn't hate you, baby. He's your father. He loves you just as much as he loves Mufasa. Sometimes he's just a bit… gruff," She shrugged, muscles rippling under her fur.

He didn't respond. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks and lashed out a paw to stop him. Then she silently lowered herself into a crouch, and the other lionesses did the same. A few flicks of her tail later, the rest of the lionesses were positioned around the grazing, unsuspecting herd of zebras. He just watched in awe at the way they communicated without words.

"Go wait by those rocks over there. It'll be safe there and I'll come get you once the hunt is over," She hissed, head lowered so her chin was touching the earth, "Hey, you can even have the first bite,"

He nodded but remained where he was.

"Now, Taka!"

He turned and hurried over to the rocks, careful not to make too much noise so as to alert the prey. Once he had clawed his way up onto the rock pile, he sat on the smooth stone, tail wrapped neatly around his paws. He squinted at his pride in the distance, slowly creeping up on the herd. Finally, when they were close enough, a deafening roar from his mother signalled the beginning of the chase. The zebras yelped frantically and bolted in the opposite direction, and the lionesses chased after them. The ones that had been blocking the zebras' escape leapt out of their hiding, and the zebras veered and ran for their lives.

Taka watched this all, feeling admiration and excitement. He silently barracked for the lionesses, willing one of the prey animals to trip. His mother was different. Usually, she was sweet and dignified. Now she was a calculating killer that flashed past him with narrowed eyes, tail streaming out behind her. She was a hunter, and he felt pride swell up inside him. All the lionesses looked up to and listened to her. She was their queen. That was his mum. And she was awesome. He would be lucky if he ended up as great as her.

Suddenly, he was dragged over the stone by his tail, claws scraping over the rock. He let out a cry as he landed on the ground heavily, tail throbbing. The ground was hard and covered in shadows; all the rocks were positioned in a circle, leaving a small clearing in the centre. He spun around to face his attackers. They couldn't do that to him! Did they know who he was? (Probably not. Everyone in the Pridelands knew of his magnificent brother, not him.) Never the less, his parents would slice them up for doing this to him!

Then his eyes widened. In front of him were three Hyena cubs, coats wild. One had a black, spiky fringe that obscured half of its eyes. They didn't look dangerous, and their mother wasn't in sight. Maybe they had been abandoned.

His nose crinkled. But they sure did stink! "Um… Hey," He stood up and tilted his head slightly to the side, looking them up and down.

They yapped back at him, and one began rolling around on the floor, overcome by a sudden fit of ear-splitting laughter. Taka raised his eyebrows.

"Hiya, lion," One of them, the cub with the fringe, finally spoke up. She was a female with a confident aura about her. "I'm Shenzi. These are my brothers, Ed and Bunzi," She gestured to them each in turn.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Shenzi rolled her eyes. "What, ya never seen a Hyena talk before?" When he said nothing still, she laughed crazily, "Cat got your tongue?"

All three cubs let out cackles of laughter, wiping tears out of their eyes with black, clawed paws. Then Bunzi asked in a high-pitched voice, "So, tigger. You got a name? Leo, maybe?" This question was met with more violent laughter.

He blinked. "I'm… Taka. The future king of the Pridelands,"

"Ooh," The Hyenas nodded to each other knowingly, "The Pridelands. Yeah. Well, our mum says we Hyenas aren't welcome there. You lions really need to learn some manners,"

Taka looked confused. "If you aren't from the Pridelands, where are you from?"

Shenzi answered now. "We call it the Elephant Graveyard. It's at the edge of your territory. Heard of it? 'Tis pretty cool. We got full run of the place – you lions aren't the only ones with leaders, you know. Our mum's the head Hyena, and when I grow up, I'll be the next one," She raised her head proudly, "We got just a few rules, and one of them is no lions. Pretty strict about that," She peered at him, walking forwards to stick her face into his. He scrambled backwards, back pressing up against the rock. "But I've only seen a few lions before. Mainly your stupid dad. Always charging in and blaming us for stealing food. Never seen a cub, though. I thought you were supposed to have more…" She paused, searching for the right word, "Fur around the neck,"

"A… mane?"

"That's it!"

"I'll have one when I'm older," he growled, a little offended.

"Hey," She raised a paw in submission, "We don't judge,"

Ed and Bunzi had begun quarrelling over a broken bone, almost completely stripped of all meat, behind Shenzi. They growled and barked at each other, and Bunzi leapt onto Ed. They began fighting – more of a real one than any play fighting Taka had ever seen. He cringed as Ed sunk his teeth into Bunzi's back leg, making him yelp out in pain.

Shenzi rounded on them and drew her lips back in a threatening snarl. Though she was the same size as them, if not a little scrawnier, she was obviously more dominant and they quickly broke up the fight, slinking to opposite sides of the clearing, leaving the bone in the middle. Taka watched, astonished. If he tried that on the lion cubs, they would just laugh at him and he would be scolded by his parents.

The female trotted over and scooped up the bone in her jaws, crunching on it as she crouched down, laying one paw over it protectively. Slowly, her siblings walked over and lay down to chew on it as well. They lay there and enjoyed it, sides pressed together and pelts messy and filled with grit.

He observed their behaviour for a while, and he found himself drawn towards them. The trio looked up as he approached, angling their heads to the side in unison. Shenzi announced, voice muffled around the thick bone, "I like you, lion boy." She let it drop to the floor and the others once again began a game of tug-of-war over who got it. Then she looked around as though saying something totally forbidden, "You should come check out the Elephant Graveyard sometime,"

"I thought lions weren't allowed there,"

"They aren't," A small, devious smile spread across her face, "But rules were made to be broken, huh, guys?" She looked from one brother to the next, and they both raised their heads to nod before going back to their 'war'.

Taka shrugged, lowering his head. "I don't want to get in trouble with my pride,"

"Ya what?"

"My pride. My… Family, my gang, you know?"

Shenzi paused, thinking about the new word to add to her vocabulary, then nodded vigorously. "Gotcha. Well, you got to learn to live on the wild side of life, or it'll be boring. C'mon. Just this once," She yawned, "So, Taka, buddy. What do ya say? Wanna be crazy and come hang with us? You won't regret it."

The way she was talking reminded him of the way Mufasa had persuaded him to go out into the savannah at night. The thought made him mad. He would show them he wasn't just a little baby anymore! He could make his own decisions. He wasn't just a follower. "Fine. I'm in. When should I meet you?"

All three of them grinned. Bunzi took over now, brushing past his sister who snapped affectionately at his ankles. "How about… tomorrow at midday?"

He looked confused. "What? I thought that all the Hyenas would be most active in the middle of the day,"

Bunzi shook his head with a chuckle. "Oh, you have so much to learn. No. Midday is when our mum goes to scavenge for food. At dawn and dusk and even at night, they're still wide awake."

Taka nodded in understanding.

"Great. So, meet us at the Elephant Graveyard – you can't miss it. Huge, dark, shadowy place. This is gonna be fun!" The three Hyenas each let out loud cackles of psychotic laughter, then all immediately fell silent, eyes wide.

Shenzi snapped, "You have to get out of here or you'll be dead meat. Our mum's comin' back. Quick!"

Turning, Taka tried to leap up onto the rock, but it was too high, and he just slid back down. He scrabbled at it helplessly, snarling in frustration and fear. Just as he was about to give up and accept his fate, the stink of adult Hyena washing over him and filling his nostrils, he felt something soft and warm pushing upwards until he was standing on top of the rock. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the cubs standing at the base, staring up at him with their tongues lolling out the side of their mouths. He mouthed thank you to them before jumping off the rock and running for a tuft of long grass just as a huge, female Hyena erupted from the grass on the opposite side of the clearing.

He drew in a sharp breath and cowered close to the ground as she sniffed the air and let out a deep growl. Then she twitched her ears and disappeared behind the rocks. Just as he was about to leave to find his mother, she reappeared, carrying Ed in her jaws while Shenzi and Bunzi bounced along behind her. They either didn't see him or ignored him, as they just continued to chatter to their mother, who said nothing but smiled down at them lovingly.

As he peered out from behind his cover, he saw her leading them to a fresh zebra carcass that had already begun to attract flies. Crouched over it were the lionesses, with his mother at its head, wide jaws clasped tightly around its neck. It struggled weakly before finally falling still. They all let out triumphant roars, which turned to aggressive growls and spits as they spotted the Hyenas sneaking up behind them.

A few chased them away, and the scavengers cackled, only to slink back as the lionesses turned their backs on them. This went on, until the Hyenas eventually stayed at a safe distance, eyes never leaving the kill.

He bounced over to them, stumbling only once on the uneven ground, careful to keep a wide girth between himself and the Hyenas, though they seemed too fixed on the older lions to even notice him. Taka squeezed between the legs of the lionesses to stand in front of his mother, whose muzzle was covered in fresh blood. She swiped her tongue around it in an attempt to clean it, but it made little to no difference. She seemed to savour the taste.

"I promised you first bite," She ushered him forward with a smile.

He looked up at her uncertainly, then was encouraged by a few purrs from the other cats and he sunk his teeth into the zebra's black and white shoulder, which was covered in scratches. He found a grip and ripped, leaving deep gouges in the earth from the effort. But, after a few more seconds, he was standing proudly with a large piece of delicious-smelling meat dangling from his mouth. He ate most of it, and the others finished it off.

Then, together, they dragged it back to Pride rock, leaving nothing for the Hyenas.


End file.
